TIBBETT FAREWELL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 221, 19 September 1938, Page 12

TIBBETT FAREWELL.

TRIUMPHANT FINALE.

NEW ZEALAND TOUR-ENDS.

When Mr. Lawrence Tibbett, the popular American baritone, made his final appearance in the Town Hall on Saturday evening, the huge audience'extended from' the 'back of the auditoriumi right up to the- organ pipes/ and many people also were seated on chairs on the platform, leaving barely sufficient room for the artists to move around. It really was a.'most inspiring sight, and" the happy care-free holiday audience was eager to applaud everything and everybody. ;

• Mr.-Tibbett's programme andrecall numbers were calculated to appeal to a catholicity of tastes. There were old English classics, German lieder, operatic arias, cow-boy songs, ballads and arteongs. Recall numbers were freely asked for and. as freely'given. One of the loveliest numbers in the first part of the programme was Schubert's "Am Meer," sung with delightful expression. Other fine offerings were "The Song of Momus. to Mars" (Dr. Boyce), Peter Warlock's "Good Ale," and three sohgs by' Hugo' Wolf. The second portion included Tschaikowsky's "None But the Lonely Heart," a fine song by Moussorgsky, "Death's Luljaby," and a grim number by Harvey Enders, "Hangman, Slack'on the Line," an item the audience ■was not quite sure at first whether to regard as being tragic or comic. The ; recall numbers included the operatic aria's "Largo al Factotum" and "Eri tu," also the Handelian skit, "Old Mother Hubbard," which the artist sang with his back to the audience, specially to a contingent of school girls on the plat, form, much to their delight. In addition the sincier gave a number of request items, such as "The Song of the Flea," "Believe Me, if All Those Endearing. Young Charms," "Svlvia" (Speaks), a cow-boy song with whistling . refrain, and, finally, what has come to be regarded as the "doxology" to the Tibbett. concerts, "De Glory Road." ' There followed scenes of great enthusiasm both inside and outside the hall, when a large crowd gathered to cheer the popular singer as he and his party -made' their way to the waiting cars at the' front entrance. Besides accompanying with his usual ;good taste, Mr. Stewart Wille played ■three pianoforte numbers, to which'he added two extra items in response to appreciative applause.